湿る
しめる · shimeru · JLPT N3 · verb-godan
to be wet
💧🧽 湿 = water radical 氵 + 显 (sun over threads): damp threads drying in sun
The left side 氵 is the water radical, flagging a moisture meaning. Sound hook: shimeru starts like shimmer, and a damp surface shimmers. Do not confuse with 閉める (also shimeru, to close); the 氵 tells you this one is the wet one.
湿 — water 氵 + 㬎 (phonetic, 'visible')
湿 originally depicted dampness, combining the water radical 氵 with 㬎, which suggests sun shining on silk threads being dried. The water component carries the meaning 'wet/damp,' while 㬎 hints at the pronunciation. Modern simplified form 湿 replaced traditional 濕.